Railway management system with cable management and related method

ABSTRACT

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining cable routes of a railway infrastructure are described herein. A graphical user interface for interacting with graphical representations of railway infrastructure on a map interface is operated. A request for at least one cable route between a first position and a second position of the railway infrastructure is received. Railway infrastructure information indicative of configuration of the railway infrastructure between the first position and the second position is obtained. The at least one cable route is determined based on the railway infrastructure information. The at least one cable route is displayed on the graphical user interface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from U.S. Patent Application No.62/942,395, filed on Dec. 02, 2019, from U.S. Patent Application No.62/942,374, filed Dec. 02, 2019, and from U.S. Patent Application No.62/942,413, filed Dec. 02, 2019, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to railway management systems,and, more particularly, to railway management systems with cablemanagement.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Railway infrastructure includes railways and other equipment associatedwith the operation of the railways. Various cables are used to connectdifferent equipment of the railway infrastructure. For example, powercables may be used to provide power to railway equipment, signalingcables may be used to provide signal information to certain railwayequipment, communication cables may be used to communicate informationto and from particular railway equipment. As railway infrastructureincreases in size, so does the number of cables that are needed to berouted between the different railway equipment. Thus, the design andmanagement of the different cables of the railway infrastructure may bea tedious task. Often, the cables are routed underground, which may addto the complexity in the design and management of the different cablesof the railway infrastructure.

As such, there is a need for computer-implemented rail managementsystems and methods for determining cable routes.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is generally drawn to computer-implementedrailway management systems and related methods for determine cableroutes for a railway infrastructure via a graphical user interface.

In accordance with one broad aspect, there is provided acomputer-implemented method for determining at least one cable route fora railway infrastructure. The method comprises: operating a graphicaluser interface for interacting with graphical representations of railwayinfrastructure on a map interface; receiving a request for at least onecable route between a first position and a second position of therailway infrastructure; obtaining railway infrastructure informationindicative of configuration of the railway infrastructure between thefirst position and the second position; determining the at least onecable route based on the railway infrastructure information; anddisplaying on the graphical user interface the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, receiving the request includesreceiving a first selection of a first component of the railwayinfrastructure at the first position and a second selection of a secondcomponent of the railway infrastructure at the second position.

In some embodiments, for instance, receiving the request includesreceiving a selection of at least one intermediary position between thefirst position and the second position.

In some embodiments, for instance, displaying the at least one cableroute includes overlaying the at least one cable route on the mapinterface.

In some embodiments, for instance, displaying the at least one cableroute includes displaying at least one of a plurality of layers of acable routing plan.

In some embodiments, for instance, the method includes determining apresence of conflict for the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the presence of conflictfor the at least one cable route includes performing a design validationprocess for the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the presence of conflictfor the at least one cable route includes performing a regulatoryvalidation process for the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, the method includes includingproposing another cable route in the presence of a conflict.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the at least one cableroute includes determining: a type of containment for the at least onecable route; a type of cable for the at least one cable route; a cablesize for the at least one cable route; a number of connections betweenthe first position and the second position; and/or a cable fillpercentage of at least one conduit for the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the at least one cableroute includes determining an optimal route between the first positionand the second position from a plurality of possible routes between thefirst position and the second position

In some embodiments, for instance, the method includes verifying thatthere is no conflict with the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the at least one cableroute includes determining an optimal route between the first positionand the second position from a plurality of possible routes between thefirst position and the second position.

In accordance with another broad aspect, there is provided a system fordetermining at least one cable route for a railway infrastructure. Thesystem comprises a processor and a non-transitory computer readablemedium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium hascomputer-executable instructions stored thereon which cause theprocessor to perform: operating a graphical user interface forinteracting with graphical representations of railway infrastructure ona map interface; receiving a request for at least one cable routebetween a first position and a second position of the railwayinfrastructure; obtaining railway infrastructure information indicativeof configuration of the railway infrastructure between the firstposition and the second position; determining the at least one cableroute based on the railway infrastructure information; and displaying onthe graphical user interface the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, receiving the request includesreceiving a first selection of a first component of the railwayinfrastructure at the first position and a second selection of a secondcomponent of the railway infrastructure at the second position.

In some embodiments, for instance, receiving the request includesreceiving a selection of at least one intermediary position between thefirst position and the second position.

In some embodiments, for instance, displaying the at least one cableroute includes overlaying the at least one cable route on the mapinterface.

In some embodiments, for instance, displaying the at least one cableroute includes displaying at least one of a plurality of layers of acable routing plan.

In some embodiments, for instance, the instructions cause the processorto perform determining a presence of conflict for the at least one cableroute.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the presence of conflictfor the at least one cable route includes performing a design validationprocess for the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the presence of conflictfor the at least one cable route includes performing a regulatoryvalidation process for the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, the instructions causing theprocessor to perform proposing another cable route in the presence of aconflict.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the at least one cableroute includes determining: a type of containment for the at least onecable route; a type of cable for the at least one cable route; a cablesize for the at least one cable route; a number of connections betweenthe first position and the second position; and/or a cable fillpercentage of at least one conduit for the at least one cable route.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining the at least one cableroute includes determining an optimal route between the first positionand the second position from a plurality of possible routes between thefirst position and the second position.

In some embodiments, for instance, determining an optimal route includesdetermining a shortest route between the first position and the secondposition which has capacity for at least one cable to be routed for theat least one cable route.

These aspects, embodiments, and features of the systems, devices, andmethods described herein may be used in various combinations, inaccordance with the examples described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system for determine at leastone cable route, in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for determine atleast one cable route, in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 3A is an example mapping interface illustrating a graphicalrepresentation of railway infrastructure, in accordance with one or moreembodiments;

FIG. 3B is an example mapping interface illustrating a zoomed-in view ofthe railway infrastructure of FIG. 3A, in accordance with one or moreembodiments;

FIG. 3C is an example mapping interface illustrating a selected piece ofequipment of the railway infrastructure of FIG. 3B, in accordance withone or more embodiments;

FIG. 3D is an example modal window for selecting a cable route between afirst and second position, in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 3E is an example modal window illustrating a list of electricalequipment in a cable route, in accordance with one or more embodiments;

FIG. 3F is an example mapping interface illustrating a cable route ofthe railway infrastructure of FIG. 3C, in accordance with one or moreembodiments;

FIG. 3G is an example mapping interface illustrating a listing of troughand ducts in the cable route of FIG. 3F, in accordance with one or moreembodiments;

FIG. 3H is an example mapping interface illustrating a listing of pullboxes in the cable route of FIG. 3F, in accordance with one or moreembodiments;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an example computing device forimplementing the system of FIG. 1 and/or the method of FIG. 2 , inaccordance with one or more embodiments.

It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like featuresare identified by like reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is generally drawn to computer-implementedrailway management systems and related methods. The systems and methodsdescribed herein are generally directed to determining cable routes fora railway infrastructure via a graphical user interface (GUI) during adesign, installation and/or repair phase of the railway, for example.Railway infrastructure refers to one or more railways and railwayequipment or devices associated with the operation of one or morerailways.

With reference to FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a railway managementsystem 100 for determining at least one cable route. A computing device102 is configured to cause a GUI to be provided on a display device 122.The GUI is provided in order to display graphical representations ofrailway infrastructure, such as, for example, cable routes betweenvarious positions of the railway infrastructure and any associated cablerouting parameters for the cable routes. A user may interact with theGUI via one or more input devices 124. For example, the user mayinteract with the GUI to request a cable route between two positions. Byway of another example, the user may interact with the GUI to view agiven cable route and/or to view any cable routing parameters associatedwith a given cable route. The display device 122 may be any suitabledisplay device, for example, such as a cathode ray tube display screen,a light-emitting diode display screen, a liquid crystal display screen,a touch screen, or any other suitable display device. The inputdevice(s) 124 may include a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a joy stick,a light pen, a track ball, a touch screen, or any other suitable inputdevice for interacting with the GUI. In embodiments where the displaydevice 122 is a touch screen device, the input device(s) 124 include thedisplay device 122.

In the illustrated embodiment, the computing device 102 communicateswith another computing device 120 over one or more networks 110 to causethe GUI to be displayed on the display device 122, as the display device122 and the input device 124 are connected to the computing device 120.The network(s) 110 may include a public network (e.g., the Internet)and/or a private network. The network(s) 110 may include one or more ofa personal area networks (PAN), local area networks (LAN), meshnetworks, metropolitan area networks (MAN), wide area networks (WAN),Wi-Fi networks, cellular networks and any other suitable networks. Thecomputing devices 102, 104 may each be any suitable computing device,such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a mainframe, a server, adistributed computing system, a cloud computing system, a portablecomputing device, a mobile phone, a tablet, or the like. By way ofexample, the GUI may be provided via a web browser running on thecomputing device 120 (e.g., a laptop computer). The web browser may sendqueries to the computing device 102 (e.g., a server) and receive theinformation for display in the web browser from the computing device102. In alternative embodiments, the network 110 and the computingdevices 120 may be omitted, such that the display device 122 and/or theinput device 124 are directly connected to the computing device 102. Forexample, the GUI may be provided via a software application running onthe computing device 102.

In some embodiments, the computing device 102 is configured to display acable routing plan via the GUI. The cable routing plan may specify aplurality of conduits (also referred to as “ducts”) and/or troughs thatmay be used to route one or more cables. The cable routing plan mayspecify a plurality of existing cables that are routed through theconduits and/or troughs. The cable routing plan may specify one or morenew cables that are to be routed through the conduits and/or troughs.The cable routing plan may specify one or more devices, systems, powersources, signal sources, equipment, pull boxes, any other suitableelectrical equipment, systems or devices, that are available for routingand/or have cables routed thereto and/or therethrough. The cable routingplan may include one or more cable routing parameters associated withany given cable, cable route, and/or component (e.g., devices, systems,power sources, signal sources, equipment, pull boxes, etc.). The cablerouting parameters may include one or more of: containment types; routelengths, length of cable route segments in a global cable route network;cable types (e.g., cable is for power, signalling, or communication);one or more cable sizes, gauges or capacity; and information on one ormore conduits and/or troughs along with available space in such conduitsor troughs. The cable routing parameters may include a number ofconnections between the devices, systems, equipment, etc.; cable fillpercentage of one or more conduits and/or troughs; diameters of one ormore cables; and/or diameters of one or more conduits and/or troughs.The cable routing plan may be displayed on a map interface. In otherwords, the GUI may be provided or operated for interacting with a cablerouting plan on a map interface. The map interface may be a bird's eyeview (e.g., satellite, imaging, aerial imaging, digital rendering, etc.)of an area. The map interface may allow a user to set the area that isdisplayed. For example, the user may be able to select via the mapinterface a specific city, longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates,etc. The user may be able to zoom in and/or zoom out of an area via themap interface. The map interface may be as described and/or provided aspart of a railway infrastructure interface described in U.S. PatentApplication No. 62/942,374, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

The map interface may allow the user to select one or more devices,systems, power sources, signal sources, equipment, pull boxes, cables,to request information (e.g., the cable routing parameter(s)) associatedthe selected component. The map interface may allow the user to requesta cable route between two positions (e.g., pull boxes, bungalows, etc.)and the map interface may display (e.g., highlight) the cable route. Thecable routing plan may be provided by way of any suitable computer-aideddesign (CAD) file. For example, the computing device 102 may access aCAD file including the cable routing plan upon request by the user viathe map interface or when the map interface is loaded.

In some embodiments, the computing device 102 is configured to receive acable route request to route at least one cable between at least twopositions associated with the railway infrastructure. Each position maybe any one of: a device, a system, a power source, a signal source, apiece of equipment, a pull box, another cable, a location (e.g., abungalow, a railway station, etc.), any other suitable electricalequipment, system or device, or even just points. In some embodiments,the cable route request is provided by the user selecting the twopositions in the GUI and requesting that a cable route between thepositions be determined. In some embodiments, the cable route request isprovided in the form of a cable routing plan. The cable routing plan mayspecify that at least one cable is to be routed between at least twopositions. The cable routing plan may specify a specific route betweenthe positions for the routing of the cable. The cable routing plan mayspecify the device, system, power source, signal source, equipment, orcable for each position of the cable routing plan. The cable routingplan may include one or more of the cable routing parameters. The cablerouting parameters for the requested cable route may be provided via theGUI.

In some embodiments, the computing device 102 is configured to determineat least one cable route between the positions from the cable routerequest. The computing device 102 may further determine one or morecable routing parameters associated with the determined cable route. Thedetermining of the cable route may vary depending on the cable routerequest. In some embodiments, the computing device 102 determines anoptimal route between the positions from a plurality of possible routesbased on the cable route request. The optimal route may be a shortestroute that has capacity for an additional cable of a give type that isto be routed. In some embodiments, the computing device 102 determines aplurality of possible routes and the associated cable routing parametersfor each possible route based on the cable route request. The computingdevice 102 may determine which routes between the positions that havespare capacity and could be used to route the cable. In someembodiments, the computing device 102 obtains the cable route from thecable routing plan, as the cable routing plan may specify a specificcable route. The computing device 102 may determine one or morediversions of a cable route provide in the cable route request and/orcorrections to a cable route provided in the cable route request. Thedetermined cable routing parameters may include one or more of the cablerouting parameters listed elsewhere in this document.

The computing device 102 may be configured to verify that there is noconflict with the determined cable route, the cable route request (e.g.,the cable routing plan) and/or a selected cable route. Determining thatthere is no conflict may include one or more of: determining that thecable route has no conflict with existing utilities or structures;determining that the cable route has no conflict with one or morestandards (e.g., local standards, electrical standards); and determiningthat the cable route has no logical conflicts (e.g., running a cable ina conduit and/or trough that would be overfilled if the cable was runtherethrough, mismatched sheet, wire continuity problems, orincompatible wire types in the same conduit or trough, such as, forexample, that a power cable cannot be run in route with a communicationcable). Determining that there are no conflicts may include running thecable route and the associated cable routing parameters throughprocessing logic or one or more algorithms to verify that there are noconflicts. The computing device 102 may issue a warning or an alert ifthere is a conflict, which may be displayed via the GUI.

The computing device 102 is configured to access at least one storagedevice 104 including a database having stored therein railwayinfrastructure information. The database having stored therein railwayinfrastructure information may be referred to as a data repository. Therailway infrastructure information is indicative of the configuration ofthe railway infrastructure. The railway infrastructure information mayinclude: information regarding a global cable route network featuringthe one or more existing cable routes (e.g., the route of a given cablebetween two components, the cable type, the cable size, etc.); lengthsof cable route segments in the global cable route network; informationregarding various devices, systems, equipment, etc. within and/or thatare to be installed into the railway infrastructure; the number ofconnections that a given device, system or piece of equipment has; thenumber of connections between two devices, systems or pieces ofequipment; utilities or structures within and/or to be installed intothe railway infrastructure; standards information that the railwayinfrastructure is to abide by; conduit compatibility information (e.g.,which types of wires may be allows in a given conduit or trough); themaximum capacity of a given conduit or trough; the current fillpercentage of a given conduit or trough relative to the maximum capacityof the given conduit or trough; and/or any other suitable information.The computing device 102 may also access the storage device(s) 104 toaccess a database having stored therein cable information. The cableinformation is indicative of the configuration of one or more cablesthat may possibly be used or is being used for a given cable route. Thecable information may include: one or more of the aforementioned cablerouting parameters and/or any other suitable information. The cableinformation and the infrastructure information may be stored in a commondatabase or in one or more different databases. The computing device 102may obtain railway infrastructure information and/or cable informationbased on the information provided by the cable route request. A givencable route between two positions may be determined based on theobtained railway infrastructure information and/or cable information.The railway infrastructure information may include the cable routingparameters.

The computing device 102 is configured to cause the GUI to display oneor more cable routes. The GUI may further display cable routingparameters associated with the cable routes. Displaying the cable routemay include overlaying the cable routing plan on a map interface. Otherconfigurations of the railway management system 100 are contemplated andthe railway management system 100 may vary depending on practicalimplementations.

With reference to FIG. 2 , there is shown a flowchart illustrating anexample method 200 for determining at least one cable route of a railwayinfrastructure. The method 200 may be implemented by the system 100and/or the computing device(s) 102, 120 or by other systems. At step202, a GUI is provided or operated. The GUI may be provided by thecomputing device 120 on the display device 122. The information fordisplay on the GUI may be provided to the computing device 120 from thecomputing 102 over the network 110, as shown in FIG. 1 . The GUI may beprovided or operated for interacting with graphical representations ofthe railway infrastructure on a map interface. For example, the GUI maybe provided or operated for interacting with cable routes and/or othercomponents of a cable routing plan overlaid on the map interface.

At step 204, in some embodiments, a cable routing plan is received. Thecable routing plan may be as described elsewhere in this document. Thecable routing plan may be received by the user requesting via the GUIthat a specific cable routing plan (e.g., stored on the storage device104) be accessed. The cable routing plan may be processed to identifythe railway infrastructure to graphically represent on the GUI.Processing of the cable routing plan may include processing differentlayers of the cable routing plan and identifying one or more layers todisplay on the GUI overlaid on the map interface. For instance, the GUImay automatically select one or more of a plurality of layers to displayon the map interface, which may be predetermined based on userpreferences, default values, or the like. Additionally, the GUI maypresent one or more interactive elements via which the user may alterwhich of the plurality of layers are presented via the map interface.The layers may be in the form of images from a ground penetrating radar,and may be representative of the existing infrastructure elements, atvarious depths. In some embodiments, step 204 may occur prior to step202 and accordingly step 202 may include providing the GUI withinformation from the cable routing visible on the map interface. In someembodiments, the information in the cable routing plan may already beknown at the time that step 202 is performed and accordingly step 204may be omitted. In some embodiments, the user may interact with the GUIto select or modify the cable routes in order to generate the cablerouting plan.

Graphical representations of the railway infrastructure from the cablerouting plan, or otherwise known, may be displayed on the map interface.With additional reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, example GUIs illustratethe mapping interface having displayed thereon graphical representationsof railway infrastructure. More specifically, FIG. 3A illustrates ductsand troughs, pull boxes, and various structures (e.g., bungalows,railway stations, etc.) overlaid on the mapping interface and FIG. 3Billustrates a zoomed-in view of the graphical representation of railwayinfrastructure of FIG. 3A.

Referring back to FIG. 2 , at step 206, a cable route request for atleast one cable route between a first position and a second position,such as a first component and a second component, associated with therailway infrastructure is received. The terms “first” and “second” priorto the terms “position” and “component” are used only for the purposesof distinguishing between the positions or components of the railwayinfrastructure. It is to further be understood that the railwayinfrastructure may include more than two components. For instance, thecable route request may specify one or more intermediate positionsbetween the first and second positions. The intermediate positions maybe positions where the cable should be located, positions where it wouldbe preferable for the cable to be located, or the like.

In some embodiments, the cable route request is provided in the form ofa cable routing plan. The cable route request is received via the GUI.More specifically, the user may be able to make the cable route requestvia the map interface using the input device(s) 124. In someembodiments, the cable route request is provided by a user requesting acable route between two positions, such as between two components of therailway infrastructure, via a GUI. For example, the user may click onthe map interface with a mouse to select the first position and/or thesecond position. For instance, the first position may be a pull box in astructure such as a bungalow, as is illustrated in FIG. 3C. The user mayselect a cable routing option for the selected pull box and may beprompted to select the second position. With additional reference toFIG. 3D, a modal window illustrates a specific and non-limiting exampleof selecting the first and second position. In the example of FIG. 3D,after the user has selected the first position on the map interface,which in this example is a pull box, the user selects an option forcable routing for this pull box and is prompted to select a secondposition, which in this example is another pull box in another bungalow.

Referring back to FIG. 2 , at step 208, in some embodiments, railwayinfrastructure information indicative of the configuration of therailway infrastructure between the first and second position isobtained. The railway infrastructure information may be obtained by thecomputing device 102 accessing the database(s) of the storage device104. Any suitable railway infrastructure information for determining theat least one cable route and/or for determining the cable routingparameters associated with the at least one cable route may be obtained.In some embodiments, the railway infrastructure information may alreadybe known at the time that step 206 is performed and accordingly step 208may be omitted. For example, when the user interacts with the GUI (orthe map interface) at step 202, the railway infrastructure informationmay be obtained at that time.

At step 210, at least one cable route between the first position and thesecond position is determined. The at least one cable route may bedetermined based on the cable route request. Step 210 may furtherinclude determining cable routing parameters associated with the atleast one cable route based on the cable route request. Step 210 mayinclude determining the cable route and/or the cable routing parametersbased on the cable route request and the railway infrastructureinformation and/or the cable information obtained from the database(s).The at least one cable route may be determined based on the railwayinfrastructure information obtained at step 208. The determined cableroute and the associated cable routing parameters may be verified toconfirm that there is no conflicts with the cable route and theassociated cable routing parameters. In some embodiments, an optimalroute between the first position and the second position is determinedfrom a plurality of possible routes between the first position and thesecond position. In some embodiments, determining the at least one cableroute includes determining a plurality of routes between the firstposition and the second position that have spare capacity and could beused as a cable route. In some embodiments, determining the at least onecable route includes obtaining the at least one cable route from thecable route request (e.g., the cable routing plan). In some embodiments,determining the cable routing parameters includes obtaining one or morecable routing parameters from the request e.g., the cable routing plan).In some embodiments, one or more diversions of a cable route provide inthe cable route request and/or one or more corrections to a cable routeprovided in the cable route request is/are determined. The at least onecable route determined at step 210 between the first position and thesecond position may be based on the diversion(s) and/or correction(s) toone or more cable routes provided in the cable route request.

At step 212, the at least one cable route between the first position andthe second position is displayed on the GUI. In some embodiments, cableroute is displayed by displaying a listing of components in a pathbetween the first position and the second position. With additionalreference to FIG. 3E, a specific and non-limiting example illustrates alisting of components, including pull boxes, of the railwayinfrastructure is provided in modular window after the user has selectedthe first and second position in FIG. 3D. The listing of components mayinclude pull boxes, troughs, ducts, etc. In some embodiments, displayingthe at least one cable route includes overlaying the at least one cableroute on the cable routing plan on the map interface of the GUI.Overlaying the at least one cable route on the cable routing plan on themap interface may include geolocating the at least one cable route andthe first and second position on the map interface illustrating therailway infrastructure. With additional reference to FIG. 3F, an exampleGUI illustrate the mapping interface having displayed thereon thedetermined cable route. The cable routing parameters may also bedisplayed on the GUI at step 212. The cable routing parameters may bedisplayed when a request is made via the GUI to display the cablerouting parameters for a given cable route. Alternatively, the cablerouting parameters may be automatically displayed. With additionalreference to FIGS. 3G and 3H, example GUIs illustrate the mappinginterface having displayed thereon cable routing parameters pertainingto the ducts/troughs in the determined cable route and cable routingparameters pertaining to the pull boxes in the determined cable route,respectively.

In some embodiments, a plurality of possible cable routes are displayedon the GUI. A given one of the plurality of possible cable routes may beselected by the user and the cable routing parameters associated withthe selected route may be displayed on the GUI. In other words, theselected cable route may be highlighted in the GUI to visualize its pathand show information on the selected cable route. By way of example, thecable routing parameters shown on the GUI may include the type ofcontainment, a route length, length of cable route segments in a globalcable route network, the type of cable, the size, gauge or capacity ofthe cable, and the number of connections for the first and secondposition, current and maximum capacity of the conduit for cable route,along with available space in such conduit. The user may be able toselect one of a plurality of routes between the first position and thesecond position to view the cable routing parameters in order to decidewhich cable route to use. The user may then select one of the possiblecable routes as the cable route to use for routing the cable in thephysical railway infrastructure. The method 200 may be repeated a numberof times to determine cables routes between various positions of therailway infrastructure.

In some embodiments, the plurality of possible cable routes aredetermined, at least in part, based on one or validation processes. Inone example, a design validation can be performed on one or morepossible cable routes, and those of the possible cable routes which donot pass the design validation may be highlighted or otherwise indicatedas such via the GUI, or alternatively may not be displayed via the GUI.The design validation may include verifying whether the possible cableroutes exhibit any discontinuities, whether the possible cable routesclash with existing infrastructure, such as existing cables, or thelike, whether the cables could be exposed to interference from equipmentor other cables. For instance, if cables are associated totelecommunications, some spacing may be required between the cable andthe existing infrastructure elements, or between the cables and otherproposed cables and/or infrastructure elements planned to be built. Inanother instance, the placement of high voltage cabling may be subjectto various requirements, such as keeping appropriate distance frominfrastructure elements (whether existing or planned) where passengersor other people may be located. The design validation may use drawingsor other representations of the possible cable routes (e.g. CADdrawings) to compare with existing known infrastructure elements. When apossible cable route is identified as clashing or otherwise not beingcompatible with existing infrastructure elements, the possible cableroute may not be validated and is indicated as such via the GUI.

By way of another example, a regulatory validation can be performed onone or more possible cable routes. The regulatory validation may includeevaluating, based on drawings or other representations of the possiblecable routes (e.g. CAD drawings), whether the possible cable routescomply with established regulations (e.g., code) in effect in aparticular jurisdiction. For instance, the possible cable routes may beevaluated against established regulations regarding clearance forlocating cables overhead of a railway. In another instance, the possiblecable routes may be evaluated against established regulations regardingcapacity limits for cable containment.

In some embodiments, the GUI may be used to present various informationabout whether or not different possible cable routes pass theabove-mentioned validations. For example, after a user selects aparticular possible cable route using the GUI, the selected cable routecan be subjected to the design validation and/or the regulatoryvalidation. The GUI may then be used to present results of thevalidation processes to the user. In the event that the selected routedoes not meet the design and/or regulatory requirements used as part ofthe validation processes, the user may be notified, and prompted toselect a different possible cable route.

In some embodiments, the method 200 includes receiving a selection ofone or more options for the cable route. For example, the user mayselect via the GUI one or more of: a cable type of the cable of thecable route, a cable size, gauge or capacity of the cable of the cableroute, a type of containment for the cable route, one or more conduitsor troughs to use for the cable route. The method 200 may validate theselection of the one or more options to confirm that there is noconflict with the determined cable route and the associated cablerouting parameters. In some embodiments, the method 200 includesreceiving a search request of one or more options to select for the oneor more options for the cable route. In embodiments in which one or morevalidation processes are performed, the selected options for possiblecable routes may also be evaluated for compliance with existingregulations and/or for clashes with existing infrastructure. In theevent that a particular selected parameter results in a possible cableroute not passing a particular validation process, the GUI may presentan indication of which selected option(s) resulted in the failure of thevalidation process, and may also recommend one or more alternativeoptions which would rectify the failure.

In some embodiments, the method 200 includes determining a type of cableprotection required for the determined cable route. The type of cableprotection to use may be determined based on a distance of the cableroute from the railway and/or an installation depth of the cable route.Moreover, the information displayed may include depth of installation,depth of existing infrastructure, including ducts/troughs, etc.

In some embodiments, the method 200 includes receiving a request forinformation on an element displayed on the GUI and displaying on the GUIthe information associated with the element. For example, the elementmay be the cable of the cable route, the first or second position, theconduit or troughs, etc. The information displayed may be one or more ofthe cable routing parameters, an image of where the element is installedand/or to be installed, and/or a CAD file or other file (e.g., a PDFfile) associated with the element.

In some embodiments, the method 200 further includes performing a fillcalculation to determine the current fill percentage of a given conduitor trough relative to the maximum capacity of the given conduit ortrough. Moreover, the method 200 may include updating a fill percentageupon receiving a selection of cable route, based on the cable routingparameters.

In some embodiments, the first position may be a source device and thesecond position may be a destination device.

It should be appreciated that by implementing the methods and/or systemsdescribed herein that this may decrease errors in the design and/ormanagement of cable routes, improve organization and/or allow for a moreeffective design approach. It should further be appreciated that byimplementing the methods and/or systems described herein that this mayensure that power, signaling, and communication cables remain safe andoperational. The methods and/or systems described herein mayadditionally allow for easy import of one or more desired cable routesfrom a CAD file and/or may allow for the verification or design check ofthe CAD data in the CAD file. If a mismatch or an error is detect fromthe CAD data in the CAD file, an alert or warning may be generated anddisplayed on the GUI.

With reference to FIG. 4 , the method 200 may be implemented by acomputing device 410, including a processing unit 412 and a memory 414which has stored therein computer-executable instructions 416. Thecomputing devices 102, 120 may be implemented according to the computingdevice 410. The processing unit 412 may include any suitable devicesconfigured to implement the method 200 such that instructions 416, whenexecuted by the computing device 410 or other programmable apparatus,may cause the functions/acts/steps performed as part of the method 200as described herein to be executed. The processing unit 412 may include,for example, any type of general-purpose microprocessor ormicrocontroller, a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, a centralprocessing unit (CPU), an integrated circuit, a field programmable gatearray (FPGA), a reconfigurable processor, other suitably programmed orprogrammable logic circuits, or any combination thereof.

The memory 414 may include any suitable known or other machine-readablestorage medium. The memory 414 may include non-transitory computerreadable storage medium, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Thememory 414 may include a suitable combination of any type of computermemory that is located either internally or externally to device, forexample random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), compact discread-only memory (CDROM), electro-optical memory, magneto-opticalmemory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), andelectrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM),Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) or the like. Memory 414 may include any storagemeans (e.g., devices) suitable for retrievably storing machine-readableinstructions 416 executable by processing unit 412.

The methods and systems described herein may be implemented in a highlevel procedural or object oriented programming or scripting language,or a combination thereof, to communicate with or assist in the operationof a computer system, for example the computing device 410.Alternatively, the methods and systems described herein may beimplemented in assembly or machine language. The language may be acompiled or interpreted language. Program code for implementing themethods and systems described herein may be stored on a storage media ora device, for example a ROM, a magnetic disk, an optical disc, a flashdrive, or any other suitable storage media or device. The program codemay be readable by a general or special-purpose programmable computerfor configuring and operating the computer when the storage media ordevice is read by the computer to perform the procedures describedherein. Embodiments of the methods and systems described herein may alsobe considered to be implemented by way of a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having a computer program storedthereon. The computer program may include computer-readable instructionswhich cause a computer, or in some embodiments the processing unit 412of the computing device 410, to operate in a specific and predefinedmanner to perform the functions described herein.

Computer-executable instructions may be in many forms, including programmodules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally,program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, datastructures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particularabstract data types. Typically the functionality of the program modulesmay be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

The above description should be understood as presenting one or moreexample embodiments and/or implementations, and one skilled in the artwill recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments describedwithout departing from the scope of the invention disclosed. Still othermodifications which fall within the scope of the present invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of a review of thisdisclosure.

Various aspects of the methods and systems described herein may be usedalone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specificallydiscussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and is thereforenot limited in its application to the details and arrangement ofcomponents set forth in the foregoing description or illustrated in thedrawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may becombined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.Although particular embodiments have been shown and described, it willbe obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modificationsmay be made without departing from this invention in its broaderaspects. The scope of the following claims should not be limited by theembodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadestreasonable interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.

1. A computer-implemented method for determining at least one cableroute for a railway infrastructure, the method comprising: operating agraphical user interface for interacting with graphical representationsof railway infrastructure on a map interface; receiving a request for atleast one cable route between a first position and a second position ofthe railway infrastructure; obtaining railway infrastructure informationindicative of configuration of the railway infrastructure between thefirst position and the second position; determining the at least onecable route based on the railway infrastructure information; anddisplaying on the graphical user interface the at least one cable route.2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request includesreceiving a first selection of a first component of the railwayinfrastructure at the first position and a second selection of a secondcomponent of the railway infrastructure at the second position.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein receiving the request includes receiving aselection of at least one intermediary position between the firstposition and the second position.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereindisplaying the at least one cable route includes overlaying the at leastone cable route on the map interface.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereindisplaying the at least one cable route includes displaying at least oneof a plurality of layers of a cable routing plan.
 6. The method of claim1, including determining a presence of conflict for the at least onecable route.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the presenceof conflict for the at least one cable route includes performing adesign validation process for the at least one cable route.
 8. Themethod of claim 6, wherein determining the presence of conflict for theat least one cable route includes performing a regulatory validationprocess for the at least one cable route.
 9. The method of claim 6,including proposing another cable route in the presence of a conflict.10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one cableroute includes determining: a type of containment for the at least onecable route; a type of cable for the at least one cable route; a cablesize for the at least one cable route; a number of connections betweenthe first position and the second position; and/or a cable fillpercentage of at least one conduit for the at least one cable route. 11.The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one cable routeincludes determining an optimal route between the first position and thesecond position from a plurality of possible routes between the firstposition and the second position.
 12. The method of claim 11, whereindetermining an optimal route includes determining a shortest routebetween the first position and the second position which has capacityfor at least one cable to be routed for the at least one cable route.13. A system for determining at least one cable route for a railwayinfrastructure, the system comprising: a processor; and a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executableinstructions which cause the processor to perform: operating a graphicaluser interface for interacting with graphical representations of railwayinfrastructure on a map interface; receiving a request for at least onecable route between a first position and a second position of therailway infrastructure; obtaining railway infrastructure informationindicative of configuration of the railway infrastructure between thefirst position and the second position; determining the at least onecable route based on the railway infrastructure information; anddisplaying on the graphical user interface the at least one cable route.14. The system of claim 13, wherein receiving the request includesreceiving a first selection of a first component of the railwayinfrastructure at the first position and a second selection of a secondcomponent of the railway infrastructure at the second position.
 15. Thesystem of claim 14, wherein receiving the request includes receiving aselection of at least one intermediary position between the firstposition and the second position.
 16. The system of claim 13, whereindisplaying the at least one cable route includes overlaying the at leastone cable route on the map interface.
 17. The system of claim 13,wherein displaying the at least one cable route includes displaying atleast one of a plurality of layers of a cable routing plan.
 18. Thesystem of claim 13, the instructions causing the processor to performdetermining a presence of conflict for the at least one cable route. 19.The system of claim 18, wherein determining the presence of conflict forthe at least one cable route includes performing a design validationprocess for the at least one cable route.
 20. The system of claim 18,wherein determining the presence of conflict for the at least one cableroute includes performing a regulatory validation process for the atleast one cable route.
 21. -24. (canceled)